Koyasan Choishimichi 高野山町石道

Distant view of Katsuragi Town Kudoyama Town, Katsuragi Town and Koya Town of
Ito County, Wakayama Prefecture:

There are several pilgrimage routes to Koyasan.

Of them, the most used until the Edo era was the Koyasan Choishimichi that
connects Danjo Garan on the mountaintop and Jison-in at the mountain foot.
Along the route, at intervals of one cho (about 109m), 36 stone stupas
called Choishi, and at intervals of one ri (about 1,6km), 4 milestones
have been erected.

On these stupas are carved not only the distance in Cho to the Danjo Garan
compound but also the Sanskrit names of 36 Buddhas of Kongokai (the Diamond
World) and 180 Buddhas of Taizokai (the Womb World), the name of donor,
and the date and purpose of the construction.